Exercising device



June 3, 1941. R." H. BURGESS 2,244,444

EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Jan. 23, 1939 19 Per/m1 H Burgess.

Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXERCISING DEVICE Richard H. Burgess, San Antonio, Tex.

Application January 23, 1939, Serial No. 252,454

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved exercising device.

Broadly stated, the invention comprises a pair of wings which are attached to the arms of an individual and so fashioned that, as the arms are moved up and down, the wings will tend to lift the body and propel the operator forwardly. A certain sense of buoyancy will thus be created to render the use of the device very diverting and accordingly attractive while, in the meantime, the user of the wings will, as an unavoidable ingredient of diversion, be receiving the physical exercise intended.

More particularly, therefore, an object of the invention is to provide equipment which, in use,

will serve to develop the chest, back, arm and leg muscles, while also tending to create accelerated breathing and thus general physical tone.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wing of scientific construction such that the up and down movement of the wing by the arms of the operator will exert a maximum lifting effect, for a given area of wing surface, as well as a maximum forward propelling force.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wing embodying a skeleton socket for the arm of the operator and wherein said socket may be flexed to accommodate the flexing of the arm.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide an individual equipment such as will, while accomplishing its purpose of physical exercise, also, at the same time, tend to develop a personal sense of poise and balance responsive to the emergencies of varying air currents and thus supply a medium for the primary training of aviators.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description and in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of the wings in use.

Figure 2 is a skeleton plan view of the arm socket of one of the wings.

' Figure 3 is a detail end view showing the handle of the socket.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective showing the joints at the angle of the sections of the arm socket.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing one of the feathers."

Figure 6 is a detail section showing the manner in which the feathers" are connected to the arm socket.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic section showing the position assumed by the feathers upon the upstroke of the wing.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 and showing the position assumed by the feathers upon the down-stroke of the wing.

Figure 9 is a detail section showing one of the feathers next the body of the operator.

As shown in Figure 1, the present invention contemplates, of course, the use of a pair of wings but as these wings are, in all respects, identical, except for right and left, only a single wing will be described in detail. Also, it is to be noted that the use of the term feather" herein is not to be considered as a misnomer. The term is used merely as the most appropriate, as the element to be described closely approaches the function of a natural feather, in so far as understood.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I employ an arm socket shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 3. This socket comprises an inner section composed of diverging tubes or rods l9 connected at their outer or free ends by a more or less streamlined ring H adapted to fit the arm pit and the shoulder. Also, other spaced arcuate connecting members l2 are used, bowed to extend over the arm of the user. The outer section is similar and comprises converging tubes or rods l3 joined by transverse, spaced connecting members l4, while at the free ends of the rods is, as seen in Figure 3, a cross strap l5 below which is provided a handle I6.

Connecting the inner and outer sections of the arm socket at the inner angle is a hinge l1 while, at the outer angle, is provided a pair of links l8 pivoted at their outer ends to the adjacent ends of the outer rods of the socket sections and connected at their inner ends by a hinge l9. Thus, the inner and outer sections of the socket may each swing, one relative to the other, as a rigid unit.

In this connection, it is to be observed that the rods Ill and I3 will lie at the front and rear of the arm of the user so that the links 18 will be disposed at the elbow, the handle l6 being conveniently arranged to be grasped by the hand in an entirely natural position, Accordingly. as will be seen, the arm of the user may be flexed, when the hinges I1 and 19 will function to accommodate such movement. As the arm is crooked. the links l8 will, of course, move toward an aligned position while, as the arm is straightened, said links will swing into angular relation. Appropriately secured to the rods l0 and I3 of the sections of the arm socket are, as best seen in Figure 6, metal plates 20.

end of the feather.

At this point it should be observed that while the sections of the arm socket may swing in angular relation in the same plane, as previously described, said sections are rigidly connected and may not move relative to each other in any other plane. Thus, as the arm of the operator is swung either upwardly or downwardly, the arm socket will function as a rigid structure. Extending between the free ends of the sections of the arm socket is a brace composed of telescopic tubes 2| suitably hinged at their outer ends to the free ends of said sections and, preferably, a sling of leather or the like 22 is provided for the elbow of the user at the angle between the socket sections to extend beneath the elbow transversely at the hinge connection between said sections.

Extending in the angle between the brace tubes 2| and the sections of the arm socket are flexible strands, wires or the like 23 which form a mat to sustain a suitable flexible padding 24 streamlining the socket as a unit, as shown in Figure 1, a convex upper surface :and a'concave lower surface being preferably provided with a rounded leading edge therebetween, but as the details of this padding are not decisive or-critical to the present invention, it hasbeen deemed unnecessary to show the structure in detail. It should be observed, however, that the strands 23 and padding 24 will be of a nature to permit angular movement of the socket sections.

Fixed to the arm socket is aplurality of feathers. These feathers are curved, on the whole, longitudinally and cambered transversely in diminishing degree toward the free ends thereof.

It has been found advantageous to use about eleven of said feathers for a'single wing although, of course, the exact number must remain a matter of expediency or choice. Eleven are shown and, as will be observed, the feathers are graduated in length beginning at the tip feather and diminishing to the feather next the body of the operator. These feathers are adapted to fold or collapse each against the next in overlapping'relation and to facilitate the closing of the wing, elastic bands or the like 25, as seen in Figure 1, are preferably provided to extend between the leading edge of the initial feather at the tip of the wing and the underside of the next adjacent feather'rearwardly of its leading edge, and'so on in connection with the other feathers. These bands will, of course, not only tend to collapse the feathers as thelongitudinal flexing thereof is relieved, but will also tend to guide the feathers into proper folded or closed position.

Each of the feathers includes a quill 25 of resilient metal. This quill may be circular in cross section, a channel, semi-circular and, in fact, any

cross sectional configuration desired consistent with required-strength. Suitably attached to the quill at spaced longitudinal points'are lateral fins 21. These fins are also preferably of resilient metal and are graduated in length towardthe tip In this'connection, it must be observed, however, that if the quill is rigid against torsion, then-the fins will be'adapted to flex in order that the feather may present at its finished outer surface, an inclined yieldable airfoil. On the contrary, if the quill is adapted to yieldably twist to accommodate deflection of the airfoil, then the fins may be rigid, as the same practical result will ensue, namely, a resiliently yieldable airfoil.

Covering the skeleton of the feather is an envelop 28 of silk, linen or other approvedma'terial and, preferably, at the free edge of the feather is provided a limp flap, edge portion or margin 29 of the same material, said flap extending from the base end of the feather to the tip thereof approaching which latter the flap is tapered in width. If desired, the envelop 28 may be of a nature to contain a suitable buoyant gas inflating the feather.

The quills 26 are secured to the arm socket in graduated diverging relation, the angle being greatest near the tip of the wing and diminishing, as seen in Figure 1, toward the base end of the wing. As brought out in Figure 6, each quill is bowed at its inner end to extend transversely over the arm between the tubes l0 and I3, as the case may be, and at their inner ends are secured by rivets, bolts or the like 30 complementing which are straps 3|, the bolts and straps being attached to the plates 20. The straps are used because to pierce the quills next toward the zone thereof of twist would result in fracture. The several feathers are thus rigidly connected to the arm socket to provide the wing.

As will now beseen, an operator may, as shown in Figure 1, attach one of the wings to each arm, when by moving the arms up and down, the wings will be caused to travel through the air. Upon the upstroke of the arms, the feathers will, due to air resistance, tend to assume the position suggested in Figure '7 while, upon the downstroke of the arms, said feathers will tend to assumethe position suggested in Figure 8, when the flaps 29 will underlap the base margins of the several feathers so that the wing surface will present a highly-effective airfoil. Thus, as will be perceived. the wings may be readily swung upwardly while, at the inception of the downstroke of the wings, the feathers will close so that the wings will afford maximum purchase. As will be noted, the feathers are, as the wings are swung, tilted more or less into angular relation to each other. This angular tilting of the feathers is. of course, yieldably resisted thereby, as previously pointed out, with the result that a component of force is realized tending to propel the operator forwardly.

Preferably, the feathers at the base ends of the wings normally lie, as brought out in Figure 9, in close convex relation to the body of the operator so as to prevent the escape of air currents past the body while the feathers near the tips of the wings diverge at such an angle that sufficient clearance is provided to permit the tip feathers to tilt in required degree to exert a forwardly propelling action upon the upstroke of the wings as well as the downstroke thereof.

In certain instances, it may be found expedient to fashion the arm socket as a rigid structure rather than of pivotally connected sections, in which event the hinge I1, links 18 and hinge l9 will be eliminated and the angular portions of the socket rigidly connected, suitably, at their inner ends. In any event, however, it is not contemplated that the pivotally connected sections of the socket shown shall accommodate entire straightening of the arm of the user but only sufiicient relative movement for comfort. It has been found that better results with the wings are obtained by holding the arms in crookedposition and, of course, excess flexing of the socket might disrupt the padding 24. If necessary, however, the strands 23 may be elastic.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An exercising device constituting a wing for attachment to the arm of a person, said wing including-a socket adjacent one edge of the wing and of a length sufiicient to receive the entire arm, said socket constituting the sole attach ment of the wing to the person, a plurality of coacting radiating resilient feathers secured to said socket and adapted to yield longitudinally and torsionally under the impact of impinging air currents, and resilient means connecting certain of the feathers at their free end portions and adapted to resist longitudinal separation of such feathers.

2. An exercising device constituting a wing for attachment to the arm of a person, said wing including a crooked socket adjacent one edge of the wing and of a length sufficient to receive the entire arm, said socket constituting the sole attachment of the wing to the person and formed of pivotally connected angularly disposed rigid sections, a brace between the free ends of the sections, a streamlined padding in said angle, a plurality of coacting radiating resilient feathers secured to said socket sections and adapted to yield longitudinally and torsionally under the impact of impinging air currents, and resilient means extending between the free end portions of cermm of the feathers for resisting longitudinal separation thereof and adapted to guide such feathers into position each underlapping the next when such feathers are relaxed.

3. An exercising device constituting a wing for attachment to the arm of a person, said wing including a sectional crooked socket adjacent one edge of the wing and of a length sufficient to receive the entire arm, said socket constituting the sole attachment of the wing to the person and the sections of the socket being rigid and being each composed of spaced rods, spaced members extending transversely between and connecting the rods of each section, a hinge pivotally connecting corresponding rods of the sections with each other, coacting telescopic rods pivotally connected to the free ends of the sections and forming a brace therebetween, flexible strands extending between said brace rods and the sections, a flexible padding sustained by said strands and shaped to streamline the socket, a plurality of coacting radiating resilient feathers secured to said socket sections and adapted to yield longitudinally and torsionally under the impact of impinging air currents, and resilient means extending between the free end portions of certain of the feathers for resisting longitudinal separation thereof and adapted to guide such feathers into position each underlapping the next when such feathers are relaxed.

RICHARD H BURGESS. 

